Over the past decade, the network’s annual Wishtober campaign has become a symbol of community spirit, compassion, and generosity – with every property sold in October helping to fund life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
In 2023, Wishtober achieved a remarkable milestone by raising over $1 million, propelling the campaign forward with renewed enthusiasm and inspiring Barry Plant to set even loftier fundraising goals.
That achievement represents countless moments of hope and joy delivered to children and their families. From backyard clubhouses to cubbies transformed into ice-castles, these wishes have brought light and laughter to young lives during their toughest battles.
With this milestone now behind them, Barry Plant is looking to the future – determined to continue growing Wishtober and raising even more funds to support critically ill children across Australia.
Barry Plant CEO Lisa Pennell described the partnership with Make-A-Wish as “incredibly rewarding,” adding:
“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the strength of our network and the generosity of our community. We’re grateful for 11 years of making a difference and are excited about what the future holds as we continue to support this incredible cause.”
Make-A-Wish Australia CEO Sally Bateman echoed the sentiment, highlighting the impact of the ongoing support.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Barry Plant Group for their unwavering commitment and generosity. For the past 11 years, their wonderful support has helped us bring much needed hope and joy to wish kids across the country.
We look forward to continuing this special partnership and together making a difference for the critically ill children it’s our privilege to support,” said Sally.
This year, seven-year-old Archie, who has faced acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, is at the heart of Barry Plant’s fundraising campaign. Archie’s wish was to experience snow for the first time: to build a snowman, throw snowballs with his twin brother Marty, and create precious memories with his family away from hospitals and treatment.
Archie’s wish came true in August at Mt Hotham.
For the very first time, both Archie and Marty experienced real snow, learnt to ski, and shared precious time together as a family.
To make his wish even more memorable, Barry Plant gifted Archie a special package filled with snow-themed Lego, cosy family beanies, and more hot chocolate powder than any child could hope to get through.
This year, one Barry Plant leader is taking his commitment a step further. Andrew Koulaouzos, Partner, Sales Manager, Auctioneer and Licensed Estate Agent at Barry Plant Taylors Lakes, will run the Melbourne Marathon in October to raise funds for Make-A-Wish.
Andrew, consistently one of the network’s top performers, says his passion for fitness has become a way to give back.
“During COVID, I swapped weight training for running and found it gave me incredible clarity. It became more than fitness – it was time to think, breathe and reset,” Andrew said.
Now preparing for his second full marathon, Andrew is running 80–100 kilometres a week and aiming for a finish time of around 3 hours 10 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes.
More importantly, he has set himself a fundraising target of $5,000 for Make-A-Wish.
At the time of writing, Andrew is already well on his way to his goal, having raised more than $1,000 to help make wishes come true for critically ill children.
“Barry Plant has supported Make-A-Wish for over a decade, so it just made sense to combine my love of running with a cause that means so much to us,” Andrew explained.
“As a parent, I feel deeply for families who face the unimaginable when a child is seriously ill. Running the marathon is my way of giving back and helping create moments of joy when they’re needed most.”
Andrew will be documenting his training and fundraising journey on social media in the lead-up to the marathon, encouraging colleagues, clients and the wider community to rally behind the cause.
With every Barry Plant office once again pledging donations from property sales in October – and individuals like Andrew going the extra mile, literally – Wishtober 2025 is set to be another powerful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together for a purpose.
Barry Plant’s vision is clear: to raise the next $1 million and beyond, helping Make-A-Wish grant more wishes that bring strength, hope and joy to children who need it most.
